Thieves and arsonists apply for jobs in Lincoln schools

Theft, assault on a child, arson and assault with bodily harm were among the crimes flagged up by Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS) on people applying to work in Lincoln schools.

According to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Request by The Lincolnite, a total of 85 convictions, cautions, warnings and reprimands were highlighted by DBS checks requested by Lincoln schools in the last four years.

The crimes recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC) were released on certificates where individuals applied for jobs at educational institutions in the postal areas LN1 to LN6.

The statistics related to school position applications received between January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2014.

Positions from catering staff, nurses and admin to heads of department and directors were applied for by candidates who had a history of a range of offences.

Some 48 males and 37 females with crimes recorded on the PNC appeared in the Lincoln statistics.

The most common offence marked by male applicants was driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol, with six candidates having been charged, cautioned, warned or reprimanded of the crime.

The most common offence highlighted by female applicants was shoplifting, with 13 candidates flagging up a history of the offence.

The crime associated with the most applicants was theft, with 25 people accountable for individual incidents.

Other crimes associated with people wanting to work with children included having an imitation firearm with the intention to commit indictable offence, assaulting with actual bodily harm and producing controlled drugs.

The DBS said that the purpose of the check is to enable the employer to make an informed recruitment decision based on the information released on the certificate.

The decision whether or not to recruit an applicant based on the disclosure check is solely down to the employer, unless a person is barred.

The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.